Max Verstappen
Dutch · Born 1997-09-30
Teams
About Max Verstappen
Max Verstappen is a Dutch racing driver and four-time Formula 1 World Champion, the son of former Grand Prix racer Jos Verstappen. He made history in 2015 when he debuted with Toro Rosso aged just 17, becoming the youngest driver ever to start a Grand Prix. Promoted to Red Bull early in 2016, he won on his very first race for the team in Spain, instantly announcing himself as a future champion.
After establishing himself as one of the grid's most aggressive and fastest drivers, Verstappen broke through to the title in 2021 following an epic season-long duel with Lewis Hamilton, decided on the final lap in Abu Dhabi. He then dominated the sport, retaining the championship in 2022 and producing a record-breaking 2023 campaign in which he won 19 of 22 races and amassed 575 points. He claimed a fourth straight crown in 2024 before finishing runner-up in 2025 amid McLaren's resurgence.
In 2026 Verstappen continues with Red Bull, the only top team he has ever driven for. The new regulations have proven tougher, and the four-time champion sits sixth in the standings on 145 points, still chasing a first win of the year. After a heavy lap-one crash out of his home Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, he has answered with a podium at Monza and second place in the first Spanish Grand Prix at Madrid, where he passed Lando Norris late on to finish 4.3 seconds behind the winner.
Career Highlights
- Four-time World Champion (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
- Youngest driver ever to start an F1 race, aged 17 in 2015
- Record 19 wins in a single season in 2023
- 71 career wins and 130 podiums from 243 starts
- Won on his Red Bull debut at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix
Racing Style & Legacy
Verstappen is renowned for his fearless overtaking, razor-sharp car control and ability to extract performance in all conditions, particularly in the wet. His uncompromising wheel-to-wheel style and metronomic consistency over a race distance have defined a generation. Still in his twenties yet already a four-time champion, he is firmly on course to be remembered among the sport's all-time greats.